Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 661

Ariana naturally understood the nutritionist meant well, so she nodded in acknowledgment.

Even though her mood had improved slightly, she could only manage a small bowl before feeling full. The nutritionist watched with concern but didn’t press further, thinking it might be better for her to eat smaller, more frequent meals instead.

When the nutritionist offered to escort her upstairs, Ariana waved her off with a resigned smile. "I can manage on my own, really."

But the nutritionist insisted.

With no other choice, Ariana allowed her to hover protectively by her side as they made their way up. From a distance, Sheryl observed the scene, her eyes brimming with envy and resentment. She couldn’t help but wonder when she, too, might enjoy the privileges of a wealthy lady’s life.

...

Lambert slept until four in the afternoon.

When he finally stirred awake, his gaze landed on Ariana, who was lounging in a chair, absorbed in a book. Unconsciously, the corners of his lips lifted.

As if sensing his stare, she turned her head and met his freshly awakened eyes. A soft laugh escaped her. "Awake?"

"Mm," he murmured.

The nap had done him good—at the very least, his mind felt clearer now.

His claim of a sleepless night hadn’t been an excuse. Perhaps it was the absence of Ariana’s familiar presence, or the restless heat that had plagued him, but he’d barely slept a wink.

After a full day's rest, I finally felt my energy and spirits restored.

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door—so light it could only have come from a child. Sure enough, Lucian's voice followed a second later. The boy spoke with remarkable politeness for his age, "Mom, Dad, may I come in?"

Ariana let out a quiet laugh, her eyes softening as she replied, "Come in."

Lucian had grown increasingly mature lately. Perhaps because he was the eldest among the great-grandchildren of the Stone family, he carried himself with an unusual steadiness—adorable in its own way.

It was precisely this maturity that put Ariana at ease, allowing her to shift more of her attention to the other children or other matters.

When Lucian pushed the door open, he saw his father sitting on the bed with an indifferent expression and his mother watching him warmly from her chair. He blinked, then stepped forward and said, "Mom, Dad... There's a parent-teacher meeting tomorrow. Can Dad come?"

He knew his mother, heavy with pregnancy, wouldn't be able to attend. So he settled for asking his father instead.

Lambert didn’t even hesitate before replying coolly, "Let the butler handle it. I'm busy."

Lucian's eyes dimmed for a moment, but he didn’t throw a tantrum or sulk. Instead, he nodded obediently and forced a small smile. "Alright, then. I’ll go downstairs and do my homework."

At the moment, Lucian was the only one here. Neither Kevin nor Carson had wanted to come.

They had grown accustomed to living in the main house with their grandparents.

And perhaps due to some unspoken reason, Carson was particularly unwilling to visit. As his twin brother, Kevin could always sense his mood. Torn between choices, he had ultimately decided to stay with Carson rather than accompany their eldest brother, Lucian, to see their parents.

Watching her eldest son's pitiful retreating figure, Ariana felt a dull ache in her chest.

This pregnancy had been unbearably difficult—far worse than when she'd carried the twins. The constant exhaustion left her drained, and with the added responsibility of looking after Shawn, Allison's child, she'd barely had time to properly check in on her own son these days.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Lucian," she called softly.

Lucian turned around.

Ariana sighed and motioned for him to come closer. Blinking in confusion, he slowly approached. Seeing her eldest son now standing right before her, a pang of guilt twisted inside her. She reached out and ruffled his hair gently.

Only after the bedroom door clicked shut, cutting off the sight of his retreating figure, did Lambert sigh and say helplessly, "For things like parent-teacher meetings, the butler can handle it." Back in his own childhood, the butler had attended every single one.

Ariana's expression remained calm. "But Lucian would be sad."

She understood that feeling all too well.

When she was little, her father was always too busy to attend her parent-teacher meetings, and her mother rarely showed up either. Not that she never did—but more often than not, those rare appearances were for Jane's meetings.

Almost every single one, in fact.

Her mother had justified it by saying that Jane had no mother, so she couldn’t let her feel left out during such moments.

So whenever her own parent-teacher meeting clashed with Jane's, Georgia would unhesitatingly choose the latter. And she—just a child—would have to face the entire classroom of teachers, parents, and classmates alone. Every other student had their parents seated beside them.

Except her.

And the worst part was...

Lucian was simply too well-behaved—so much so that Ariana couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She even began questioning whether her decision to partner with Lambert in managing the company had been the right one.

Something felt amiss.

Admittedly, the shadow cast by her mother had made her recoil at the very idea of becoming a housewife. But what if, without realizing it, she ended up mirroring the very people she had resented most in her childhood—her own parents? Would she regret it later?

Just like little Lucian.

His heartbreaking obedience weighed on her.